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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher/Writer
The new quarterback with the Hollywood looks strolled into the press conference, and he sure was relaxed.
Jimmy Garoppolo, wearing a black suit and black shirt with his family sitting along the side of the Las Vegas Raiders media room, said all the right things during his Las Vegas introduction press conference at Raiders HQ in Henderson. Stuff like wanting to work hard, learning about Las Vegas and communicating with Raiders stars Davante Adams and Maxx Crosby.
“I’m trying to win a Super Bowl. I know every player says that when they come up to their first press conference, but that’s my goal. I want to go get a ring, get the Silver and Black back to where it should be. And I know it’s not an easy process,” Garoppolo told reporters. “I went through it in San Francisco, lower end of the field when I first got there. But it’s a process, but it’ll be worth it.”
In the photo below, Garoppolo’s parents; brothers Tony, Mike and Billy; and agent Carter Chow are along the wall watching the presser.
“I’m coming in with the mindset that I need to earn everything. I don’t want to be given any, ‘You’re the franchise guy’ or whatever. I want to come in and earn it. I think that’ll come through hard work, working with the teammates, being at the facility,” he said. “All those little things will play a role, but I don’t want to be given anything. I want to earn it.”
The Raiders football leadership of GM Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels said goodbye to former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who signed with the New Orleans Saints and already went with his family to watch an NBA New Orleans Pelicans game.
Garoppolo said he’s new to Las Vegas, but noted that he and his family went to dinner in Vegas Thursday and everyone who crossed his path was stoked to see him take over as quarterback for an NFL team that came off a mediocre 6-11 season.
“I’ve only been here for a couple of days, so I haven’t gotten a ton of experience with it, but we went out to dinner with the family last night and people seem to be very fired up around here,” he said. “A lot of football fans out there. We walked through one of the casinos to the restaurant and the place was going crazy. So, I’m excited about that part of it for sure.”
While the news of Carr leaving and Garoppolo arriving have captured the headlines, when will the Raiders improve a defense that has yielded an abundance of points and yards for two decades.
Even though the once-powerful Raiders have suffered through losing seasons, the NFL continues to sell out Allegiant Stadium — though many fans inside the Raiders’ roofed stadium are rooting for the visiting team.
Garoppolo is 31 years old with nine years in the NFL.
The Eastern Illinois quarterback was the 62nd overall pick in the second round in 2014, selected by the New England Patriots, which included McDaniels on its coaching staff. Garoppolo recalled with a laugh that former Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady was in his first meeting session with the Patriots nine years ago.
Yeah, we actually had a funny first interaction. So, it was the combine process, you go on your one-day visit to a team and I was meeting with Josh [McDaniels]. He was running me through the offense on the board and I don’t know if it was planned, but I swear he planned it and Tom Brady walked in. And I thought it was to throw me off a little bit because I’ve never met him before – a little starstruck. But, yeah, he walked out and everything, Josh kept going with the teaching and that was our first interaction. — New Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo
He spent four years with the Patriots, winning two Super Bowls before getting traded to the San Francisco 49ers.
He has had a roller-coaster career, serving as a backup to Brady, a starter with the 49ers and then a backup again in 2022 before he came off the bench last season to play 11 games (and 10 starts) with 16 touchdown tosses and only four interceptions.
I think that’s the NFL. You never know what your path is going to be. Everyone has a different story, but I think as long as you keep rolling with the punches, keep believing in yourself, good things will happen. And I’ve been fortunate enough to be surrounded by good teammates, good coaches and good things have happened for me. So, just trying to keep that going forward. — Jimmy Garoppolo
Garoppolo signed a $72,750,000 contract for three years, with a signing bonus of $11,250,000. Spotrac.com broke down the contract this way:
Garoppolo has missed many games because of injuries through the years.
“I’ve had injuries in the past, so the mental part wasn’t – initially it sucks, obviously. You hate being in that situation. But once I got past that initial part, especially once we started to make a little bit of a run in the playoffs last year, I was getting ready to ramp up again and be ready,” he said. “But things didn’t work out, and I’m glad with how things ended up, I would say.”
On Dec. 4, he left a 49ers game with a broken foot and missed the rest of the 2022 season, opening the door for 49ers backup Brock Purdy to seize the moment after being picked last in the NFL held here in Las Vegas in April 2022.
Draftsharks.com presented Garoppolo’s injury history in this graphic:
The Raiders’ retail store is already taking pre-orders for Garoppolo’s number 10 jersey. Number 10 was worn by Raiders wide receiver Mack Hollins, which means either Hollins will change his number or we have seen the last of the affable Hollins in a Raiders uniform.